It is well known in the art that electric lighters are able to effectively ignite a plurality of smoking products without the use of volatile liquids or gasses. Electric lighters function by providing a component arrangement that allows an electrical current to safely interact with a heating element, producing sufficient heat to ignite a plurality of smoking products. While many variations exist, electric lighters typically comprise a heating element and an electrical source in order to classify as an electrical lighter. Although a plurality of electric lighter configurations exist, most electric lighters commonly suffer from major disadvantages that hinder their portability or limits their functionality as an ignition device.
One of the disadvantages observed in common electrical lighters is their reliance on an external electrical source. This disadvantage is best exemplified by the common vehicle cigarette lighter, which requires a complimentary cigarette lighter receptacle in order to connect to the electrical source. The complimentary cigarette lighter receptacle is an integrated component located within most vehicles. It utilizes a vehicles electrical system as the electrical source for the vehicle cigarette lighter. Without the complementary receptacle, the common vehicle lighter is unable to function. Although various alternative electric lighter configurations exist where the electric lighter is provided with an integrated electrical source, a large majority of these configurations limit the functionality of the electric lighter as an ignition device.
Generally electric lighters with integrated electrical sources are commonly found incorporated into portable electronic smoking devices. These portable electronic smoking devices utilize a modified heating element in order to heat specialized cartridges containing a vaporizable product. This particular arrangement limits the electric lighter from functioning as a portable ignition/heating device for a plurality of smoking products. This limitation in functionality is due to the specificity of the modified heating element. The modified heating element is designed to interact with a particular cartridge configuration. Furthermore, the modified heating element is designed to reach a specific temperature that is optimally suited for vaporizing the liquid solution contained within each particular cartridge configuration. This particular arrangement requires the heating element to be shaped and designed with specific tolerances that greatly limit its functionality as a general purpose ignition/heating device.
It is therefore the object of the present invention to provide a combination electric lighter and portable vaporization device that functions as a dual purpose apparatus permitting a user to carry a portable vaporization apparatus that additionally functions as an electric lighter. The apparatus includes an integrated electrical source and a versatile heating element. The apparatus allows the user to ignite a plurality of smoking products but provides the option of vaporize the smoking products through the use of a vaporization device. The vaporization device can heat vaporizable material against the versatile electrically powered heating element in a manner that prevents ignition. The versatile heating element can function as a lighter, without requiring extensive configuration to light a smoking product. The apparatus is rechargeable. The component arrangement of the present invention allows it to function as a portable electrical ignition device that can be utilized as a general purpose ignition device. Additionally the present invention is provided with an integrated electrical smoking device that is housed within the electrical lighter and utilizes the general purpose heating element to vaporize a plurality of smoking products.